A Symposium Associated with the Opening of the Play Copenhagen in Washington, DC

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A symposium will be organized in conjunction with the opening of Michael Frayn's play "Copenhagen" in its four-week run in Washington, currently scheduled for February 26, 2002 through March 24, 2002. The play reenacts possible events associated with an actual 1941 meeting between Werner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr in Nazi-occupied Denmark. The symposium will seek to ensure and expand the involvement of the general public and students in the science and drama of the play. There is a need to engage and inform the general public in the understanding and appreciation of science, scientists and the impact of science on our daily lives. The play Copenhagen, perhaps more than any science-based play, involves the audience in an understanding of the impact of the new physics. The symposium will be held about a week before the play opening and consists of three parts: 1- The Science and History Surrounding Copenhagen focused on the science in Copenhagen, and its modern day impact. 2- An Understanding of the Characters of the Play, with speakers who knew the three characters in the play, (Bohr, his wife Margrethe and Heisenberg) and. 3-Deconstructing Copenhagen, with the playwright, theater critics, writers and journalists examining the construction and dramatic elements of the play. The audience for the symposium is the general public with a strong emphasis on students. The impact of the symposium and the associate colloquia and seminars will extend well beyond the attendees through wide interest by the local press including, TV, radio and print. The extended colloquia and discussions will encourage debates and interdisciplinary learning opportunities by including the sciences (physics), the humanities (history), and the arts (theater).